Each month the Social Security Administration releases statistics on the disability programs. These statistics take a deeper look at how benefits are distributed amongst the program and give beneficiaries a better idea of how the program looks on a monthly basis. Below, we explain what the March 2016 SSD benefits statistics looked like. We’ll take a look at the total number of beneficiaries collecting disability and the monthly monetary averages.
Overview of March 2016 SSD Benefits Statistics
Total Number of Social Security Disability Benefit Beneficiaries: 10,785,000
Disabled Workers: 8,889,000
Spouses of Disabled Workers: 139,000
Children of Disabled Workers: 1,757,000
Average Monthly Social Security Disability Benefit Amount: $1,022.33
Disabled Workers: $1,165.74
Spouses of Disabled Workers: $319.47
Children of Disabled Workers: $352.50
March 2016 SSD Benefits Statistics: Looking Deeper at the Beneficiaries Stats
When taking a deeper look at the March statistics, we can see very few changes since February. The biggest change is in the number of beneficiaries collecting benefits. This month, we saw a decrease of 9,000 beneficiaries. This number includes disabled workers, spouses of disabled workers, and children of disabled workers. This decrease can be due to many factors like revoked benefits, reentry into the workforce, or death of beneficiaries. While this number may seem like a large decrease, statistics from previous months show that this is a pretty typical fluctuation within the program. Here’s a look at how these numbers changed during the past 12 months:
March 2016 SSD Benefits Statistics: Looking Deeper at the Monetary Stats
Another interesting fact is that monetary wise, the benefit averages are virtually unchanged since February. The overall average only increased by one cent. This statistic is useful for future beneficiaries to keep in mind when applying for the program. Knowing the average can provide a better idea of what range of benefits you can expect. Here’s a peek at what the average monthly Social Security Disability benefits has been over the course of the last 12 months. This may give you a better idea of the marginal changes in the average award each month. Again the average is representative of disabled workers, spouses of disabled workers, and children of disabled workers.
An interesting fact about the graph above is that over the course of the past year, monthly averages have risen. It’s a little over $6, so you’re probably not feeling it in your pocketbook. However, it does give hope for future beneficiaries for potentially higher disability benefit amounts.
You May Qualify for Legal Assistance
When it comes to applying for disability benefits, we recommend getting a Social Security lawyer to help you. Attorneys and advocates are trained to provide assistance to applicants throughout the entire process. They can assist you with filing the initial application, collect medical records, and prepare you for an appeal an unfavorable decision that may arise. The best part is that attorneys and advocates work on a contingency basis, meaning you won’t pay any out-of-pocket fees unless you win benefits.
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Megan Kelly is a former blogger and copywriter for LeadingResponse.